BY CORBY A. YARBROUGH • DNJ CORRESPONDENT • August 28, 2010

Big plays and big fouls dominated the night at Riverdale Friday.

Touchdown runs of 44 and 73 went the Warriors' way, and 111 yards worth of yellow flags went against the visiting Hendersonville Commandos as Riverdale moved to 2-0 with a 22-14 victory.

Adam Davenport rushed 20 times for 134 yards, scoring twice on runs of 1 and 73, while quarterback Dillon Woodruff added 110 total yards, including a 44-yard score for the Warriors.

Riverdale's defense, which stifled Antioch's attempts at a ground game in last week's 39-6 victory, continued the trend by limiting the Commandos' wing-T attack to 56 yards in the first half — 36 on the ground, 20 through the air on 1-of-5 passing. Hendersonville (0-1) collected nearly as many penalty yards (45) as it did total offense through the first 24 minutes.

The Warriors were not able to benefit from those 45 yards of penalties, however, until late in the first half.

In a matter of seven plays there was a sack, blocked punt, an interception and a one-play scoring drive.

Commando senior Whit Gray sacked Warrior quarterback Dillon Woodruff and classmate Taylor Bozeman followed two plays later by blocking Woodruff's punt attempt at midfield. Hendersonville could not capitalize, as quarterback Elijah Howell was intercepted by Scotty Boykin at the Riverdale 43. Woodruff bounced back from the sack and blocked punt in one play by dashing down the right sideline for a 44-yard score.

"You've got to shake off the losses and forget about it and look forward to the next series," Woodruff said of the sequence of events. "The touchdown got everybody going toward the right mindset to win."

After forcing a three-and-out on Hendersonville's first drive of the second half, Riverdale's Marcelous Odom clicked off a 38-yard run on the first play, a third personal foul penalty two plays later placed the Warriors at the Commando 25 and Davenport gained 21 of the 24, including a 1-yard plunge to push the lead to 14-0.

"We knew they were going to be physical and that touchdown was a big play," Davenport said. "It was two teams smashing on each other and trying to get the other one to wear down and break off the big play."

The Commandos, making their first visit to Tomahawk Stadium, did collect 181 yards in the second half — 57 coming on a lateral-scoring touchdown from Howell — but six personal fouls for the game certainly did not help matters.

"Mental mistakes; we beat ourselves," Gray said of his team's penalty problem. "We lost control of our minds and we wouldn't do that in practice, so I don't know why we did it here."

Riverdale answered Howell's score immediately as Davenport busted off a 73-yard touchdown run up the middle and added the 2-point conversion. Hendersonville added a late score on a 10-play, 71-yard drive, capped by Chris Moore's 1-yard run.